Putting a lid on it
Now that was awkward.
New Jersey Nets owner Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov halted discussions with the Nuggets, this week, that would have brought All-Star Carmelo Anthony to the Nets. Apparently things got too public and too expensive and the distraction was costing his team wins.
A day later, Nets G.M. Billy King apologized to his team for the distraction and public discussion. Understandable. Rumors had it that as many as 15 players among New Jersey, Denver and Detroit would have been involved.
Here’s what I want to know: How did that much detail get out? I know, it’s New York. With all that media, there’s bound to be some leaked stories. And with three teams involved, someone at one of the cities was bound to blab. But when Scott Layden was president of the Knicks, few insider stories got out regarding his team. Why? Layden wouldn’t talk. Wouldn’t talk at all.
SCOTT LAYDEN, THE QUIET MAN
It was the same way when he was the Jazz personnel director. Questions about trades or draftees would be referred to Layden, who would then say he couldn’t comment. End of story.
That’s not to say there aren’t other sources, it’s just that Layden didn’t really talk to much of anyone. I think he did his personnel work in a broom closet. The Jazz p.r. people told me they didn’t know what Layden was doing on the draft or trades, and even Layden’s father, Frank, said he was in the dark.
So my advice to the Nets is that if they’re leaking stories they don’t want out there, hire Layden. I don’t know whether he’ll build them into a champion – he didn’t with the Knicks – but I’ll guarantee embarrassing weeks like this one wouldn’t often occur.